Tips to stay safe as you drive home

Wednesday December 16, 2015Michael Barone

As you prepare to hit the road for a few well-deserved weeks off, take a few minutes to get your vehicle ready for the winter weather.

Everything starts with your tires. Having proper air pressure is essential in the cold and snow. Under-inflated tires also lead to poor gas mileage. Also, if you don’t have snow tires, at least make sure the tire tread is in good shape. Insert a quarter upside down into a groove. If you can see anything above George Washington’s wig... it’s time for new tires.

Make sure you can see! Snow on the road means sludge on your windshield. Replace your wiper blades if they streak, and keep your windshield washer tank filled and an extra gallon in your trunk.

Don’t rush off without cleaning your windows completely free of snow and ice. Keep a snow brush with a strong ice scraper in your car until you’re sure the snow is gone for good in the spring.

Be ready in case you get stranded. Keep a blanket, flashlight, hand warmers and jumper cables in the car. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged -- and keep a charger with you too. Always bring a hat, gloves and boots, in case you’re exposed to or required to walk in the cold.

In cold temperatures, make sure your battery is relatively new and charged, and have at least a 1/2 of a tank of gas to minimize condensation that can freeze your gas line. Add a can of dry gas to your tank – especially if you don’t have an attached garage. And monitor your anti freeze. Keep the reservoir filled and some extra in the trunk.

And the bottom line – don’t risk it! If the weather is awful and first responders are encouraging you not to drive unless it’s an emergency – don’t! Make sure we all get to see you again next semester.

Be smart and stay safe. Happy holidays!

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Members of the Fredonia campus community are urged to sign up for NY-Alert, a secure, web-based emergency text, email and voice message alert system maintained by SUNY Administration and the New York State Emergency Management Office. NY-Alert is the primary tool within the mass communication system used on campus during an emergency, and the only alert system which will send messages directly to students, faculty and staff without being having to be logged into email.

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Dear Fredonia Community Members, I am sorry for the annoyance and alarm caused Thursday afternoon and evening by the malfunctioning of the campus emergency mass notification system. The Simplex system was installed in 2011 to provide essential communication in the case of an emergency. If there were a dangerous natural event (such as a tornado) or a criminal event (such as an active shooter), the system would be used to ensure safety. The alarm you heard yesterday would sound for a few seconds to get attention, followed by a voice message about the emergency and the specific steps people should take to be safe. It is loud enough that those who live near the campus would also be alerted about a danger in the area. Fortunately, we have never yet had to use this system, but knowing we have this capability is an important part of our emergency preparedness. This kind of malfunction—with the siren sounding continuously—has never occurred before, and finding a way to turn off the siren took a while, as you know if you and your family members were awakened by the sound and wondered when it would end. A team of experts from the campus and the manufacturer are working today to make sure this does not happen again. The Fredonia community is a good neighbor to the campus, and I am committed to having us be a good neighbor as well. Virginia Horvath President

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University policy on extraordinary weather requires that normal operations continue to the extent possible. Essential services (i.e.: Facilities Services, University Services, Residence Life, Campus Life, Environmental Health and Safety, University Police, and Food and Health Services) must be maintained in spite of severe weather. When cancellation of classes has been declared, the President will notify the Department of Marketing and Communications to facilitate announcements via the campus' emergency messaging channels (NY-Alert, listserv email, website, etc.) and on radio and TV stations across Western New York, if appropriate. Fredonia's policy states that employees designated as Essential Service will report to work at scheduled start times and perform normal and customary duties in the event of an emergency, including but not limited to weather, power outage, etc. To learn more, visit policy.fredonia.edu.